IN response to the letter in last week's Times and on behalf of the Boughthayes Tenants' and Residents' Association, I wish to thank Councillor Eberlie for his public support of the local community on this occasion. However, I would like to set the record straight.

The flooding incident in Boughthayes and on Callington Road was most definitely not all down to surface water.

Three Boughthayes properties on Callington Road and two Callington Road properties were all subject to the ingress of underground water as they were in 1999. Only timely intervention by the fire crews prevented flooding of the other two Callington Road properties affected in 1999 this year.

Only one Callington Road property was flooded by surface water. Drakes Stores (Spar) suffered directly as in 1999 from the huge out-flow from the culvert and the cottage adjacent to the old BP side was also affected.

There were contributing factors leading up to the emergency in 1999. Notwithstanding, it has to be conceded that the events of that December took everyone by surprise. That does not hold good in the light of the emergency on New Year's Eve 2000.

Over the past year a mountain of correspondence has been generated between the local community and the authorities, expressing fears and repeated warnings that unless they collectively took into account the views that have been documented, there would be grave danger of further flooding.

Despite the fact snow-melt and heavy rain may have been a contributing factor, it cannot be written off on these grounds alone.

Correspondence with the Environment Agency has clearly demonstrated that it appears to have only advisory powers. If that is the case then it is time that Central Government gave it more powerful teeth.

It is also high time that those who are in salaried positions in their respective agencies realise that they are privileged to be in the forefront of protecting the heritage of the land in which we all live for future generations.

M G Hall

7 Callington Road

Tavistock